Anza Borrego Desert

Anza Borrego Desert is named for the Spanish explorer, Juan Bautista de Anza who used this route in 1775-1776 to reach the California coastline from Mexico. The park is also named for the big horn sheep that can still be seen in the park today. Borrego is Spanish for sheep. The elevations vary from below sea level to 3100 feet asl. Anza probably followed a sandy wash up through Grapevine Canyon to get over the coastal mountains. Anza Borrego Desert State Park is northeast of San Diego in the big Imperial Valley. It's southeast of Palm Springs, due south of Joshua Tree National Park and west of the Salton Sea. The town of Borrego Springs is near the center of the park at about 450 feet above sea level. The southern reaches of the park are near the Mexican border. From Los Angeles, we drove through the hills southeast of Temecula and about 30 miles east from Warner Springs and Julian.